C44

"I've decided. I will set off for Jincheng tomorrow!" Qian Yulian's posture was firm as she spoke resolutely to everyone in the room. It was no longer a discussion, it was a confirmation.

Baili Jing and Xue Yi looked at each other, but before they could say anything, Baili Yu had already interjected, "The situation in the south is still unclear. Jin City is still under the control of the crown prince and the Duke of Qin, why are we in such a hurry to return?"

"I don't want to wait any longer. Jincheng City is already impregnable, and our identities are not known by everyone. It's only natural for many people to be unwilling to stand on our side. When Huang'er and I return, those clumps of clumps of clover will naturally be able to see the wind clearly." People often said that it was hard for a woman to make up her mind, but once she made up her mind, she would be very resolute. Qian Yulian was just like that.

Baili Yu was unhappy. In Jiangnan, the Emperor was far away, and the Duke of Qin did not want to fight for these, so the Empress and the Crown Prince's powers were beyond his reach. Even if he wanted to help, he could use his money to destroy him, but in Jincheng, his uncle Qian Yuding only had the title of a duke and more than half of the nobles and officials would stand on the Crown Prince's side.

Yue'er had already been disappointed in him because of his marriage. When he returned to the city and married Baili Xiu, she would be even more mistaken. In terms of status, she was already his sister-in-law.

"Go back! "Jade Lotus allowed Jade Cauldron to enter the palace and report to His Majesty. She only said that she was not in a hurry, but that there was still a lingering fear in her heart. She avoided begging for peace for ten years, so family and kinship must meet once and for all." Qian Guoliang, who had been silent all this time, said in a deep voice, "Cultivate the books yourself and have Wei Wu take the people to Jincheng first."

"Yes, Father." Qian Yulian suddenly turned around and smiled. Her skin was white and delicate, and her eyes were charming and full of emotion. Although ten years had passed, her charm was still the same as before. She looked at Baili Jing and Xue Yi and said, "The two of you have helped me greatly.

"Many thanks, Empress!" Both of them couldn't conceal their excitement. Their eyes were shining, as if they could see the grand scene of Imperial Concubine Lian and the second prince returning to the palace.

Baili Yu looked at the complacent crowd in the room, and slumped back in his chair. His grandfather had once been a Cabinet Master, and his father had already taken him as his master when his father was still a prince. His learning skills were impressive, but after Qian Yulian's accident, he had called him a sick man and left with Qian Yulian. Qian Yulian listened to him every now and then, so he knew he could only obey.

"As expected, Brother Yu, your senses should be correct." After Murong Yu left the Heroic Dragon Hall, the crown prince quickly caught up to him.

Murong Yu's expression did not change, "That's good too, royal father will definitely be happy. I hope everything goes well in the future and nothing goes wrong."

"I will persuade my mother and make her happy. After so many years have passed, I hope Imperial Concubine Lian can let go of her past grudges as well." Mu Rong Qing sighed softly, barely audible.

"According to my analysis, Jiang Nan's letter should arrive in a few days, I wonder if it will cause any waves in the court. Xiao Yu, I know that you have been focusing on investigating the whereabouts of Madam Yun recently, but at that time, you should pay more attention to any movements in the hall."

"Chendi understands!" "I've heard that Brother Huang has been feeling unwell for the past few days, so it's best for you to take a good rest. If there's anything you need to do, you don't have to run around yourself. Just send me a letter." Mu Rong Yu looked at the pale-faced Mu Rong Qing and said.

"Big brother's fine. It must be the imperial physician exaggerating my illness. Does Little Yu also think that I'm a fragile beauty?" Mu Rong Qing laughed mockingly at himself. It hadn't been a day or two since the news of the crown prince's sickly beauty had spread throughout the palace.

Murong Yu lowered his head without a word. His expression was the same as usual. He did not say a word. Murong Qing wanted to ask about Yun Shengyue's situation, but after a moment of thought, he swallowed his question and left with a smile.

The news of the imperial concubine and the prince returning to the Imperial Court had yet to arrive, but the Southern Barbaric Land at the border seemed to have the intention of withdrawing their troops, and the entire Jincheng City was even more peaceful.

However, she knew that Murong Yu would not be able to sneak out without permission. He wanted to find some time to have a chat with Murong Yu, because they wanted to beg him, and because he didn't know if he would let her leave the manor, he was somewhat hesitant.

Since yesterday, the Immortal Cloud Restaurant had been completely spotless. From the outside to the inside, flowers could be seen everywhere, and after making two main dishes, Chen Jue`er went back to her room to wash up and change into her new bright red dress. Her hair was no longer as beautiful as it used to be, and she only used two jade hairpins to tie up her ponytail, and inserted two bright and fragrant pink roses obliquely, making her look more charming and seductive.

She only wanted to use this opportunity to regain Murong Yu's favor. In the past few months, there had been some matters that happened, and although Murong Yu did not suspect or blame her, he had also become a lot colder. In the past, even though he was rather cold, it was only because of his personality.

As night fell, Murong Yu, who had been in the study since the afternoon, rubbed his swollen forehead and finally put away the scroll. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and remained silent for a while. Then, he raised his spirit up, picked up the embroidered box from the table, and walked out.

Today was Ju`er's birthday, so he should accompany her. Although he did not really want to go, he did not know what was going on with him, even if he had fallen in love with Yue'er, he should not have wanted to see her. This was too unfair for her.

These thoughts made him extremely agitated. Before he could even enter the entrance of the Immortal Cloud Restaurant, Chen Jue`er came out to welcome him happily. Murong Yu quickly stabilized his mind and followed Chen Jue`er into the fragrant Immortal Cloud Restaurant.

"Prince, you being able to come to Ju`er is already incomparably happy, why are you giving such a precious gift?" Chen Jue`er coquettishly pouted, seeming to complain about it. In reality, she loved and couldn't wait to put on the rare necklace made of eighty white jade-like pearls of the East Sea, which was as round as a single pearl, around her neck. The long necklace would even fall down to her chest after two circles, and the sparkling light that was scattered on her red and white dress was about seventy percent dull.

Murong Yu felt gratified when he saw that she liked him. He silently looked at the ecstatic person in front of him as he thought about what he should give to make that depressed girl in the Clear Tide Courtyard shine again. These mundane things definitely couldn't move her heart, and he couldn't think of anything else except finding her mother.

After being happy for a while, she quickly pulled at Murong Yu and said with a smile, "My lord, I've already forgotten about it. The dishes have already been prepared and should be ready by now, so I've ordered to eat in the small dining hall at the side. Since there are only the two of you, Jue'er didn't prepare much.

The two of them walked into the small dining room. Although there were only five or six dishes, most of them were filled to the brim with snacks and fruits.

After careful preparation, the dishes were served at just the right time. With the various flavors of the wine and delicacies mixed together, it was enough to arouse anyone's appetite. Moreover, it was already time to eat.

Chen Jue`er personally served up a bowl of chicken soup for Murong Yu, and also helped to prepare some bone-removing chicken meat. "Prince, drink some soup first, warm your stomach before drinking. Jue'er had kept this wine for a long time, and last year, she went to the Qinyuan Mountains to bring it back with Prince.

"So it's Pure Spring Jade Brew. No wonder it smells so good." Murong Yu also remembered that this wine was made from a hundred flowers of the Qingyuan Mountain that were mixed with fragrant rice. It was sweet and fragrant, and had the effect of living serum and bones, making it extremely rare. Back then, he'd only brought back eight bottles and sent six bottles to the palace.

Even though it was the most common, it still needed to be done to make the bottom of the soup clear and oily, the chicken tender and smooth to the bone, and the fragrance of the meat tender and tasty. Because of this, Chen Ju-er had specifically studied it from the imperial palace's chefs, and it took him more than a month to prepare this dish.

Seeing Murong Yu drink the soup, Chen Jue`er immediately helped him pour the jade wine. The wine was already warm, and once it left the pot, it was even more fragrant and mellow.

"Jue'er will first toast to Your Highness." Chen Jue`er drank a cup of wine with a smile on her face. Although it was sweet wine, it still had some alcohol to it. Immediately, pink peach blossoms bloomed on her fair cheeks as she looked at Murong Yu expectantly.

Murong Yu also straightforwardly drank the wine in his cup and gave her a piece of waxy, fragrant cartilage. "You should also eat some first. This wine also has some aftereffects."

"Thank you, Prince!" The two of them first ate a bit as if they were eating a variety of dishes. From downstairs, a gentle and melodious sound of a zither could be heard, and it was neither fast nor slow. It seemed that Chen Jue`er had specially invited a zither master to come over.

After eating some food, Murong Yu took the initiative to toast Chen Jue`er with a cup of her birthdate. The red willow trees and green shrubbery all acted swiftly and quietly as Chen Jue`er informed them that the dishes would be prepared one after the other.

She finished the wine in one gulp and quickly went to the second jug. She had already warmed the jug by the side. Red Willow, on the other hand, had changed a stick of incense in the corner of the room.

"Miss, why aren't you sleeping?" Cui'er asked with a yawn when she saw Yun Shengyue sitting in front of her desk, deep in thought and without a trace of sleep.

Yun Shengyue looked at the sleepy her and said, "You and Ruo Lan sleep first. I want to think of something to do. There's no need for you to accompany me."

"Then I'll change the pot of tea and get some pastries for Miss."

"There's still some tea, I don't need any snacks, just sleep with Ruo Lan, I'm fine."

"Very well then, Miss, if you need anything, just call me." Cui'er rubbed her eyes as she headed to the next room, while Yun Sheng was in a daze with his hands on his cheeks.

He was unable to pay attention to his mind and Chen Jue`er purposely did so. Between the two bottles of wine, more than half of them entered Murong Yu's stomach, and he also ate quite a lot of food. Murong Yu gradually became dizzy and felt like he couldn't drink at all, so he said that he wanted to rest and stood up shakily.

Chen Jue`er hurried to support him, and her exquisite body pressed up against his, as she said tenderly: "Master, you drank too much, so you should rest here with Jue'er."

Her close proximity made Murong Yu feel a "teng" sound. His body seemed to have been set ablaze, but there was still a trace of clarity in his head. He didn't want to stay behind, so he walked unsteadily down the stairs.

After a busy night, she saw that he still wanted to leave. Feeling unresigned in her heart, she insisted on supporting him back to the Clear Mo Courtyard, but unfortunately, when she sent him to the entrance of the palace, she was blocked by a black shadow.

Even if he had a physical relationship with Chen Jue`er, he would only occasionally go to the Immortal Cloud Restaurant and never stay the night. As for the Clear Mo Courtyard's room, he would not allow anyone to enter it, and only the thirteen black days, which were responsible for cleaning, could be used for less than an hour.

"His Royal Highness is drunk. I just want to stay and take care of him." She knew the power of Black One, and even if she was extremely angry in her heart, she could only speak kind words.

However, Black One did not do the same, "Your Highness, Madam should be aware of your rules, your subordinate does not dare to disobey."

"Your highness got drunk to celebrate my birthday, how can I be at ease?" Chen Jue`er said without giving up.

Black One was still blocking the door like an iron tower. "Madam, please go back. Your Highness will have someone to take care of you."

"You …" Chen Jue`er finally flicked her sleeves and left. She understood the position of the Black Armored Army's leader in this mansion. He was Murong Yu's most trusted subordinate and would only listen to his commands. Nothing she said would be of any use.

As soon as Hei Wu entered the inner room, he saw that Murong Yu had already gone to bed, so he helped him remove his shoes before going out. When Hei Wu reached the door, he quickly walked over and whispered for a while, and when Hei Wu heard this, he thought for a moment and then motioned for the guards around the hall to retreat a few meters. He also motioned for Hei Wu to hide with him in a dark place.

After a while, Yun Shengyue, who was dressed in simple home attire and had a long black braid tied around her hair, appeared at the door of the hall. She looked around before entering the house in a flash.

"Princess, I don't know what you're doing for you to suddenly come here so late. Shouldn't … should we just let her in just like that?" Black Five lowered his voice and said worriedly.

Black One's eyes flickered, his expression calm. "Keep a close watch. Don't worry about nothing. What's the fuss about the consort entering the prince's hall?"

"But isn't Your Highness preventing people from entering?" Black Five was still puzzled.

"You don't need to worry about it. Go and instruct the others. Pay more attention, but don't alert the wangfei." He had previously escorted Yunsheng all the way to Wind City and spent some time with him there. Whether Yunsheng was good or bad, he had a good idea of what the prince was thinking, so when he heard Hei Wu report that Yunshu had snuck into the Clear Mo Courtyard, his first reaction was to let him go. The prince was drunk, so if there was an imperial concubine to take care of him, it would be for the best.